Presentation by Albert Yefimov, head of Skolkovo Robotics on Schunk Expert Days

1. Albert Yefimov
Head of Skolkovo Robotics
Russian Robotics:
Skolkovo Perspective

2. Skolkovo
Robotics Center

3. Skolkovo Foundation

4. Robotics Network in Skolkovo
50 projects
24 experts
24 grants*
Science Partners
Technical Partners
*including the approval of the application and micro-grants
Venture Capital
Customers
Hackspace

5. Solved and UN-solved
Problems of Modern
Robotics
Сommunication (4G, WiFi)
Sensors, Navigation
Processor power.
Moore’s Law
Mobility
Awareness, cognition, artificial intelligence,
interaction with the environment, group
behavior (3-8 years)
Manipulation with objects. Reducing the cost
of HW and component (3-5 years)
The main limitations of the current service robotics:
awareness of the environment and the robot manipulation
with objects of the world.
© Stanford Research Institute/Skolkovo Robotics

6. Cognition

7. Human-
Robotics
Interaction
New hardware or
software for
human-robotics
natural or
collaboration
including industrial
or domestic use

8. Human
Augmentation
Systems
Human augmentation
systems including
industrial or
rehabilitation
exoskeletons and
intelligent prosthetics Raised $1.5m funding

9. Medical Robotics

10. Deep Learning
Application of artificial intelligence
technologies, including deep learning neural
networks to create products and solutions
that provide intelligent support for humans
in relation to computer and robotic systems.

11. Deep Learning

12. Skolkovo Robotics Conference

13. Skolkovo
Robotics’16
20.05
Skolkovo Hypercube

14. Skolkovo Robotics Center
Human-Centered
Robotics
=

15. Extend
Human
Capabilities
100s sold in 2015
$10k/p

16. Stats
• Russia is 2nd from bottom in industrial robotics :(
• Sign of hope - ~ 500 service robots sold in 2015 professional and personal
purposes (IFR data will be submitted soon):
• Mining
• AGV in logistics
• Exoskeletons
• Education
• UAV
• Promo-bots
• Telepresence
• Underwater ROV
• Surveillance AGV
• Defense robotics (no export)
500 only in
Skolkovo!

17. Strength:
Great human capital
Engineering talent
Weakness:
Too weak
entrepreneurial culture
Opportunities:
• Vast country
• ‘Software eats the world’
• 25% GDP is retail
• Currency devaluation
Threats:
• Political turmoil too long
• State might U-turn again
SWOT Analysis
1
7

18. Strengthes
Human capital - 1st in number of engineering
graduates
Strong Mechanical&Mathematical studies
Rich (so far) government
Software competence - key component of cutting edge
robotics
Technology savvy population - internet&smartphone
penetration among highest in Europe
Beautiful technology lineage - pioneering in many
areas of robotics
Always positive robots! No terminators in Russian pop
1
8

19. Weaknesses
Low level entrepreneurship culture
Big (relatively) military budgets drawing best
talents in military R&D
Low drive in local manufacturing for effiency
Government policies enforcing migrant's
labour
Language barrier for entering foreign
markets
Contradictions in national innovation
priorities
1
9

20. Opportunities
Vast spaces - drones & UV paradise to early
technology adoption
Software becomes key market differentiator
Easy access to clinical trial
25% of Russia’s GDP is retail
Aging neighbors (EU, Japan) driving technology
solutions beyond migration
Dramatic increase for specific service robotics: UVs
& HAS
Growing share of Tier 2/3 suppliers in world (S&I)
robotics
Manufacturing's reinessance in Russia
Currency devaluation2
0

21. Threats
Low Russia' profile due to Ukraine's turmoil
Oil/Gas/Military takes all talents
Strong competition from US, EU, Japan and
China kills nascent Russian robotics industry
Too slow growth of local manufacturing
Closing government sponsored
modernization initiatives, shifting attention
from small innovative firms to big
corporations
2
1

23. Robotics in Russia

24. Guide to Robotics Centers
Guideline Description What we have
Talent
An abundance of talented graduate engineers with backgrounds in robotics
and mechanical engineering is a key propriety for a robotics center
Moscow IT Cluster is 2k
companies and 60%
business
Customers Established links to the offices of potential customers of robotics
All defence customers in
Moscow
Interdisciplinary
teams
The ability for teams to reach out to experts in various disciplines (computer
science, design and even psychology)
RAN legacy
Venture Capital Access to venture capitalists capable of supplying smart and patient capital Moscow is financial center
Infrastructure Cheap lab/office rent, space to set up meetings and conferences No deficiency
Experts, mentors
and acceleration
Access to a wide network of experts for evaluation, acceleration and
mentorship programs
High density
Geography Proximity to centers of fundamental and applied research in robotics
6-7 hours to anywhere in
EU
Services Cheap and reliable services for prototyping yes
Financial support
Robotics is yet not very attractive to investors. Government financial
support is necessary to attract venture capital for robotics projects.
Government grants etc

25. Industrial robotics AutonomousVehicles
Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles
Medical and
Rehabilitation Robotics
Educational Robotics
Human Robotics
Interaction
Artificial Intelligence

26. Exoatlet
The only rehabilitation exoskeleton in Europe
on clinical trials:
• Dozens of pilots walked hundreds of
hours
Used for rehabilitation of stroke patients and
assisted walking for full paraplegics
EUR 17 000 (shipping not included)
First version shipped to customers
Clinical version (2017):
• Claim stairs
• Walk uphill
• Collect patient data
2012 2014 20161969

27. Promobot Hundreds sold world-wide
Featured in ‘Forbes’
EUR 6 000, no monthly fee!

28. GNOM ROV
• Sold world-wide
• Smallest in its class
• Starts with EUR 3 500

29. Future Lab
First company in the world to
land on high-voltage power-
line to roll on them
Prototype
Ready for customer’s trials
next year

30. TSURU
UAV under 250 g
Unique design: water-proof, dust-proof
Cheap
In production: shipped to early customers in
Emergency departments
EUR 1700
Shipped to customers

31. MR-400, 2009 г.
AR-600E, 2013 г. SAR-401, 2013 г.

32. Skolkovo Robotics
Albert Yefimov
aefimov@sk.ru